X23: All in the Family
by xXSister GrimmXx
Summary: A ghost from Laura's past is out to make good on it's promise to destroy everything she holds dear. A ghost that knows the key to Laura's pain is all in the family...


**Disclaimer: THE CHARACTERS IN THIS TITLE ARE NOT MY OWN. THEY ARE THE PROPERTY OF MARVEL COMICS, AND THEIR AFFILIATES.**

**Author Notes: Hey everyone. I'm here with the beginning of a brand new X-23 tale I've been stewing over in my head for a while now. Before you start reading the story I'd like to ask that you please make reviews for me. Tell me what you think. What you like, what you don't like. Don't be shy about it. I can't get better without knowing my own flaws. Anyway, I'm not big on making wordy notes, half the fun is in finding out what happens for yourself, so I'll let you get to reading. Hope you enjoy!**

**X-23: All in the Family**

**Prologue  
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It was the heart of winter in Maine. Outside looked like a blizzard had erupted, covering the ground in a deep, powdery, covering of snow. Maggie Freeman didn't know how people survived in weather like this. Back where she came from it got cold, but never anything of this magnitude. What was more absurd to her was that she had to come to school despite the mountains of snow that lined the roads outside. She just couldn't wrap her head around it at all.

Maggie and her mother, Lucy, had moved into this quaint rural town stuck out in the middle of nowhere Maine three months ago. So far they had adjusted pretty well all things considered. They had moved so much recently it was still kind of unreal to Maggie that she was here to stay. That she could make friends again. That she could maybe put together a life for herself, even if it was in a town where everything smelled like fish, and was constantly freezing.

Her day dreams were interrupted by the blaring ring of the school bell, signaling an end to the day's torturous lessons. Ms. Smith, Maggie's teacher, was trying to call out homework assignments over the shuffle of chairs and expressions of relief to be done with school for the day, but her attempt fell on deaf ears as the kids made their exodus. Maggie managed a half-hearted smile for the dismissed teacher before spilling out into the hallway, riding the wave of teenagers towards the parking lot.

She was dreading the ride home. Her mother was working a double down at the local seafood restaurant and that left Maggie stuck riding the bus. She hated riding the bus. It was full of smelly rejects and misfits; not to mention it was a serious hit to her budding social status. Back in her old life she hadn't exactly been popular among her peers.

She had been kidnapped when she was younger, but no one at the time believed her. They had thought she was only out to garner some attention for herself, and had ostracized her for it. They didn't know what had really happened, or how she had been rescued. She had drawn in on herself after that, feeling alone. Here though it was different. She was the fresh face in school. A mildly outgoing girl with a pretty face, and a ready quip to almost anything. She had recreated herself, and things were definitely looking up for her.

Maggie rode the undulating wave of bodies ever onwards through the packed hallways, cradling her books close to her chest. The stream of high school kids spilled out the front doors of the school, widening out almost immediately once clear of the building They began dispersing into cliques, or heading towards the bus lot. She stopped, just outside of the school though, taking a moment to search for her mother's car, even if she knew she wouldn't be there. Finding exactly what she expected to find she crinkled her nose up in distaste, and started for the bus with a heavy sigh of discontent.

She had covered half the distance to the lot when she heard someone shouting her name from the way she had came. Turning around she was surprised to see Tommy Radcliffe racing towards her, flailing his arms like a mad man. Tommy was one of her new friends. He was cute, with long brown hair and sparkling blue eyes, not to mention he was a member of one of the more popular high school rock bands. She thought he liked her, but he hadn't made a move yet and she was too scared to herself.

Tommy pulled up just shy of her panting raggedly, like he had just ran a marathon. He was bent double, his hands on his knees, and his face was flushed red. Steamy breath poured from his gaping mouth as he sucked in the frigid air. "You okay Tommy," Maggie asked with a look of concern.

He held up a finger to her, pleading silently for a minute to catch his breath. Finally he straightened himself up, though he still looked as if he might kill over at any minute. He gave her a smile, thumping his chest with a fist as he did. "I'm fine. Just smoking, it'll really take it out of ya you know?" The question was purely rhetorical, and he said it in his usual jovial manner.

Maggie laughed, she wasn't fond of his habit, but she could forgive him some things. "Any reason you just ran the hundred meter dash to get to me?"

The color was beginning to return to Tommy's face now, and he reached up to scratch at the back of his head as he replied. "Uh, yeah. About that. Martha just told me you were about to take the bus home and I was kinda wondering if I could take you home instead."

That was something she hadn't expected, but she wasn't about to miss the opportunity. Especially since it got her off the bus. "Are you kidding me? Of course you can. I was just thinking if I got on that yellow tin can I'd never get the smell out of my clothes again"

"Great, well come on.." Tommy tossed an arm around Maggie's shoulder, puling her along at his side as he led her off to his truck.

"So, thanks for offering a ride.." Maggie's words broke the lingering silence between them as they walked to the student parking lot.

"It's no problem, figured you wouldn't complain" Tommy gave a shaky laugh, dividing his attentions between her, and where he was going.

"No, definitely not." Maggie gave a soft laugh at that, the sound of her voice echoing a little of her nervousness they both seemed to be sharing. "But really, thanks."

"Ah, don't mention it Mags. Here we are, my baby." He was holding out his free hand to point out a monster of a truck straight out of some redneck's fantasies. It was huge, easily one of the biggest ones in the lot, and it stood out with it's fresh coat of bright red paint, and knobby tires.

Maggie hadn't expected him to drive something like that, always figuring Tommy for the beater type of guy, but now she was forced to reassess her previous evaluation of him. "You drive that thing?" She was a little in awe of it despite what the expression on her face may be taken as. Her nose was scrunched up, and the right corner of her lips was being tugged with it.

"Yep. Dad got it for me at the beginning of the school year. You like it?" They had made their way to the passenger door by then, and Tommy was busily trying to step around Maggie to open the door for her.

"Oh, yeah. Definitely," she said as he opened the door, offering a hand to help her up into the high seat. Looking down at him, she grinned. "Even if it is a little on the redneck side."

"Ouch, just ouch." Tommy shook his head in dismay, closing the door soundly without another word.

Maggie stuck her tongue out at him, but he'd already walked away from her door. She watched him move around the front of the truck, feeling her heart thud in her chest. He was so good looking, and now she had him all to herself. Not that she knew what to say to him really. Chalk that up to being so socially awkward in her former life.

Tommy climbed into the driver seat, and turned his key in the ignition. The truck sounded as mean as it looked, thrumming to life with a low growl. "Wow, that's loud." Maggie looked over at Tommy who was busy trying to back out of his parking space.

"Yeah, pretty sweet huh?" He was grinning from ear to ear, proud of his truck, as he watched for cars coming behind him.

They pulled out of the parking lot, and onto the freshly scraped roads, rolling through the countryside at a steady pace. Things were oddly quiet between the two, both not knowing what to say now that they had time to say it. Tommy turned the radio up, blaring his angst music from the truck's speakers while Maggie watched the impossibly high piles of snow that lined the road pass by. She wanted to say a lot to him, but didn't know where to begin. Finally it was Tommy that broke the silence.

"So, uh, what are you up to Friday night?" He reached over to turn the music down so he didn't have to talk as loud, casting a nervous glance to Maggie's huddled figure as she propped herself against the passenger door.

"Friday? Um, nothing that I know of. Why?" She had a feeling she knew why, but she was doing her best to keep her excitement from showing, making an intense study of anything but Tommy.

"Oh, well my band is, um, playing at the, uh, the Fish Bowl on Friday night. I was kind of wondering if um, you wanted to go?" He slid his eyes to her once more, readjusting his sweaty grip on the leather steering wheel as he waited for her response.

"Really? I, uh. Yeah sure, I'd love to…" She had been about to say more, but when she finally looked away from the outside window she caught sight of a woman standing in the middle of the road. She was lean, tan, with dark hair, and just staring at them. "Tommy, watch out!"

It was too late though. The truck hit the woman head on, her body disappearing beneath it's massive hood, as if she had been swallowed whole by the vehicle. Tommy locked down his breaks, the truck swerving in a fishtail as it struggled to stop. Finally it did, skidding to a halt at an angle a little farther down the road. They had somehow been turned around in all the chaos, and the truck was now facing the direction they had come, smoke pouring from it's hood.

Tommy was all wild eyed dismay, clawing frantically at his mop of brown hair while Maggie herself was on the verge of tears. "Oh God. Oh, God. What did you do Tommy!"

"What did I do! She just walked out in front of me!" He was still clearly panicked, but he had managed to open his door at least, and was in the process of undoing his seatbelt. "Stay here, I'm going to check on her."

"No, way! I'm coming to." She didn't wait on him to protest, climbing out of the truck, and sprinting after him for the woman who was still sprawled out across the road.

As they neared her Maggie noted the strange lack of blood, but in her frenzied state she barely gave it a thought. Tommy skidded to a halt by the body, dropping to his knees at the woman's side while Maggie hovered a few feet back. He was shaking her shoulder gently, asking if she was okay, when the woman suddenly rolled over of her own volition.

It happened quickly, one minute the woman had been lying there lifeless and still, and the next she had her hands on Tommy's head. His bones gave a sickeningly wet pop as the woman twisted his skull around on his neck with a violent tug. Tommy's blue eyes were lifelessly staring back at her, his head turned around at an unnatural angle. She cupped her hands over her mouth, her knees wobbling shakily as she sobbed in terror.

Maggie worked her mouth to say something, anything, but it felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. All she could do was cry as the woman stood, brushing off stray asphalt that had imbedded itself in the tattered remnants of her coat. Maggie sank to her knees as the woman's face came into clear view. A face out of her nightmares. A face she had never thought to see again. "No!" The protest came out in a wail of horror..

"Hello Maggie, or should I say… Megan." Kimura gave her a wicked grin, full of teeth, and malicious intent.


End file.
